Ponderings of a Middle-Aged Mom

Resolute

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 07:30:00 +0000

It's five days into the new year.

I stopped making resolutions eons ago. Only because I never made any that I stuck with. Ever.

They were the same every year.

Lose weight.

Stop biting my nails (happy to say I finally conquered this one. :)

Find a new job. (From when I was working.)

You get the gist, right?

I realized one year that there was no reason to make these silly resolutions that were forgotten almost as quickly as they were made.

And that was that.

I have not made a resolution in a good fifteen years.

And now we have this year.

2013

I still haven't made any resolutions. Instead, I have made a few goals.

I don't want to list them out here. Some are personal and I'm not ready to share yet.

But these goals were formed because I have had a feeling about 2013. This year is going to be different.

I can feel it.

This is my year.

Good things are going to happen.

I just have to grab the bull by the horns.

I will not sit idly by and let things pass me up this year.

This? Is my year.

It so is.

Hello, 2013. So nice to see you.

Few and Far

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:15:00 +0000

So it's clear that my posts are few and far between.

I think that's to be expected during the holiday season. But it seems like it's more to me. I have been posting sporadically for a while now.

I have things to say. I just don't think anyone wants to read them. And that's OK.

I started this blog for myself.

To write.

To process.

To heal.

Anyone who stumbles through is welcome to read and comment if they are moved to. But it isn't necessary.

I had thoughts of shutting this space down.

There comes a time when you reach a point and go, "What the fuck am I doing this for?"

I know that I will never be a rich and famous Blogger.

I don't plan on writing a book.

I don't plan on doing reviews.

I don't plan on doing giveaways.

I don't have a meme or link-up for everyone to join in on.

What I do have is my stories.

My life.

Past, present and future.

Daily life has been crazy lately but hopefully I can keep my posts from being so far and few.

Melancholy Mess

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Maybe it's the weather.

It has been dark and grey for a few days.

Maybe it's the events of the last week that have left me wanting to pull my hair out. (I would elaborate but I just can't right now.)

Whatever it is, I am feeling down.

I am sad.

I am lonely.

Maybe it's because it's Christmas time and my heart just isn't in it this year.

Maybe I am missing my family.

I wish like nothing else that I could secretly get to Ohio and surprise my Mom.

Even though she guilts me and makes me feel bad, I miss her.

I have not seen her in four years. And I don't know how much longer she's going to be around.

That? The not knowing? Is killing me.

I may not ever be able to get back and see her.

That breaks my heart.

I am broken and drifting in a melancholy mess.

Ten Thought Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Hey there!

From the looks of my calendar, it is Tuesday.

Ready to ride the random train?

Here we go:

10. Randall's birthday is on Thursday. I wish I had the money to get him all the things that he wants. But I don't so he will have to settle for all my love and a nice birthday dinner.

9. I also can not believe that CHRISTMAS is right around the freaking corner.

8. I have done nothing. NO SHOPPING whatsoever has been done.

7. I am the queen of procrastination. Pretty sure.

6. Decorations haven't been put up yet either. By the time they are put up it will be time for them to be taken down.

5. Decorations are not my department. In case you were wondering.

4. It has been tradition that decorations get put up on Randall's birthday. Not my tradition. If it were up to me? Decorations would have been put up on the first of December. Whatever.

3. Still plugging along trying to find a job. . . So far I have heard nothing.

2. Trying to stay positive but it's hard.

1. Looking forward to the holiday season being over. This is my least favorite time of year.

What about you?

What's your random?

Taking a Step

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:42:00 +0000

I did something last night that I never, in a million years thought that I would do. . .

I was chatting with my sister via Yahoo! Messenger. . .

And we were just talking about various things.

Then we were talking about Dad. The 25th anniversary of his death was this past Monday. . . And she asked me if I remembered the night he died.

I responded with a yes. I was thinking about all the things I have shared here about that night.

She asked if I kept a journal.

I was hesitant. Because I don't in the respect that I have a book in which I write my thoughts and feelings.

I told her no.

And then changed it to "But I do have a blog and have shared some things on there."

We talked a little more and then I decided to share a post with her.

This is big for me people. I have kept this space here to myself since I started it.

No one outside of Randall and Kaylee know about this space.

And I shared it with my sister.

Told her that I wanted her to look around.

Read my stories.

See me.

Hi sissy.

I want you to know that you will find some links that will take you to a blank page. That is because I took the post down, a few months ago, as I didn't feel they should be displayed any longer.

Nothing against anyone. No bad words have been spoken. I just didn't want them to be "out there" any longer.

There are stories here that will probably surprise you. Things that I did as a teenager that no one knew about. . .

But I want you to know. These stories are me. My thoughts. My feelings. Me.

I want to list some posts out for you. . . I hope that's OK.

And a couple of funnies:

There is more here. Just take your time and look around. . .

If you want to that is.

Thanks for taking a little time to see me.

Love you.

Me.

Ten Thought Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Hey there people!

Today is ever loving Tuesday!

Also? This is a short week due to Thanksgiving being on Thursday.

But let's focus on today, shall we?

It is Tuesday.

My lovely day to throw the random at you.

Ready or not, here we go:

10. My period was kind enough to show itself on Sunday. Thanks for that Mother Nature. I have had increasingly painful cramps since then. Awesome.

9. I talked to my sister on Sunday. We talked for almost 2 hours. TWO HOURS. I know she doesn't realize it, but in that time she made me feel guilty no less than five times.

8. I also blame her for my period starting. Because, obviously.

7. I was actually surprised to hear from her. It had been well over a month since we had last spoke.

6. She called to tell me that our step-dad was having surgery (today) for a pacemaker for his heart. She also called to vent. And in the process make me feel bad.

5. She is her mother's daughter.

4. I am not even slightly prepared for Thanksgiving. Apparently the MIL and I are going to tag team cooking turkey day dinner. I am less than thrilled.

3. I guarantee that I end up getting aggravated because she is somewhat control-ish in the kitchen. She will end up doing EVERYTHING and I will end up being pissed off.

2. Or things could go smoothly and all will be right with the world. You never know.

1. I started taking new meds for my diabetes. . . And so far they seem to be working well. My blood sugar has been staying relatively low. YAY! So there is some positive in all the negative that I'm swimming in.

How about you?

What's your random?

Enjoy the Funny

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:48:00 +0000

So, I was gonna sit here and write about how I have been laden with guilt lately. . .

But I have sat here this morning and came across too much stuff that has made me laugh out loud.

Laughter is good.

And it has put me in a better mood. So much so that I do not want to bring it down with a post about the shit that has me feeling like a loser.

If you want to watch something funny check out this video.

And if reading the funny is what you're after, you must go read the latest from Pretty All True.

Go.

Watch.

Read.

Enjoy the funny and LAUGH!

Also? Have a good Monday. They are usually a bitch.

Hee hee!

Ten Thought Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I see by the calendar hanging on the wall that it's Tuesday.

You know what Tuesday used to mean around these parts, right?

Random thoughts listed (usually in ten).

Oh, you remember now?

Thaaaaaat's right.

TEN THOUGHT TUESDAY!

I have not done one of these in eons and thought it might be time to resurrect it.

Are you ready?

Here we go:

10. Hurricane Sandy. The Frakenstorm. So much devastation up and down the east coast. I can do nothing but say a few prayers that everyone is able to survive the storm.

9. It is the day before Halloween . . . and we're still not really clear on what Kaylee is going to be. Talk about procrastination.

8. If procrastination were a job, I would be the top-paid employee. Hands down.

7. Kaylee has been practicing almost every day after school for a Veteran's Day assembly for school. The kids have been practicing marching. . . And it has been said that they will be dressed up in marching outfits and everything.

6. Also? There will be singing. Lots of singing. I know this because Kaylee has been singing the national anthem NON-STOP.

5. While I love my country AND my daughter. . . I am not loving the national anthem being sung over and over and over again.

4. I might be a curmudgeon.

3. Being a curmudgeon might make finding and keeping a job hard.

2. Oh yeah-- I am actively looking for a job. Because we desperately need the extra money.

1. I have a few applications in but so far, no bites. Hopefully I can find something soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Please?

What's your random?

Let me be

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 08:07:00 +0000

You know what?

I have not posted anything since. . . Since when exactly?

*pauses to look it up*

I haven't posted anything since September 28th.

It is now October 28th.

That's a whole freaking month!

It's not that I haven't had anything to say. It's that I haven't been able to find the right words to say what I want.

There is nothing 'new' going on. Life is the same as it has been the last few years.

Struggle, worry, stress. Repeat.

I know I'm not the only one with struggles so I try to leave them off the blog. Although I am certain that my struggles are not the same or even as normal as those that other people have.

My husband is sick.

We are struggling with bills.

We need more money coming in.

I am fairly sure that I am clinically depressed, even though it hasn't been diagnosed.

I am sick of my in-laws.

I am semi-actively looking for a job even though I feel as though I shouldn't be the only motherfucker in this house looking for one.

I stay aggravated. I stay agitated. I stay grumpy.

There are times that I can cry at the drop of a hat. I hate to cry. It leaves me feeling weak and vulnerable.

In that moment when the tears start to roll down my face, I feel like I am breaking.

I am not weak.

I have dealt with more shit in my 34 years than most people have even dreamed about.

I am not inadequate.

I am strong. I am a survivor.

When the tears start to fall, that is my soul trying to heal from all the pain and heartache that I have seen in my lifetime.

Don't judge me. Don't look at me with pity.

Let me be. Let the tears flow uninterrupted.

Let me heal the best way I know how.

Let me cry.

Idiosyncrasies

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Quirks.

We all have them.

Everyone.

Even that one person who seems like they're relatively normal.

Yeah, they're not.

I know I have a few quirks.

What are they?

I'm so glad you asked.

I present to you a list of things that are quirky about me!

Ready?

OK!

10. I can not eat a raw tomato. I can eat everything associated with tomatoes (ketchup, marinara sauce, STEWED tomatoes, BBQ sauce, tomato soup) but I can not for the life of me eat one raw. There is something about the texture of a raw tomato that just makes me shiver through and through.

9. When I go to bed, I can only fall asleep on my right side. I don't know why but I can not sleep any other way.

8. I count stairs {in my head} as I climb or descend them.

7. If I'm having water with ice in it, there has to be an even number of cubes. Preferably ten. Otherwise the water to ice ratio is off and the ice melts too quickly. The same goes for soda. The ice melts too quickly and then you end up with nasty, watered down soda. Yuck.

6. When I'm eating dinner, I start with the things that I don't care for first. Get the yucky things out of the way so that I can enjoy the things that I do like.

5. When I am sleeping, I usually stick one leg outside the blankets so that I don't get too hot. This is also scary because it makes me vulnerable to the monster that is hiding under the bed.

4. I cross my arms over my chest when I am angry or irritated.

3. I have three jars to which change gets separated into. One for quarters. One for dimes. And one for nickels and pennies. I get aggravated when coins end up in the wrong jars.

2. I almost always answer the phone on the third ring.

1. When I go to bed at night, I have to have a fan blowing on me. Have to. I get hot and then the room feels like it's closing in on me. {I blame Randall for this because I could sleep just fine without a fan until I met him.}

There you have it. A drop in the bucket of quirks that make me who I am.

What about you? What are some of your quirks?

******************************

Gettin' quirky with my friend Jen over at just Jennifer.

Join us, won't you?

What's for Dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I've been spending a lot of time lately experimenting in the kitchen.

I have used the family as guinea pigs.

From crispy cheddar chicken to tator tot casserole to taco bake to scalloped potatoes to mac and cheesy baked chicken casserole. . .

The testing has been endless.

Thank you Pinterest.

Some recipes have been hits. Others, not so much.

But the reason behind me suddenly cooking so much lately is this:

Over the last five years the MIL has been cooking the majority of our dinners. Which was fine by me.

The problem is that, more often than not, we ended up eating really late. Like between 8-10. Sometimes later.

In the summer I didn't have a huge problem with it (even though it WAS annoying) but I kept telling Randall that this couldn't continue once school started.

I took the initiative and started cooking on September 4th. At first I thought the MIL would be mad because I was taking away her one 'thing'.

If it has angered her in any way, she has not voiced it to me or anyone else.

My dilemma is this:

I'm running out of ideas.

Pinterest has helped a bunch. I have found quite a few recipes that I will use again.

I guess I need to start meal planning. Something that I've never done, ever.

This is harder than I thought it would be. By far. It also doesn't help that there are picky eaters (Ahem, FIL) that make cooking that much more difficult.

Do you meal plan? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?
Leave me your favorite recipe or a suggestion of something to try!

Six Words, Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:55:00 +0000

****************

Linking up with Mama Kat and her Writer's Workshop today.

I chose prompt #1

I spent this past weekend in Dallas for Bloggy Boot Camp with SITS. As part of the Writer’s Workshop Francesca and I conducted we resurrected the Six Word Memoir. Add an image to your own Six Word Memoir based on…well anything.

Do you have six words about your life or family?

Acknowledge and Let Go

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 06:40:00 +0000

Lying in bed trying to sleep.

Thoughts keep swirling in my mind.

I can't focus on one single thought. They are bunched together making it impossible to concentrate on just one.

I let the swirling mass consume me.

I find myself thinking about events from years ago. Wondering about the what ifs of the past.

Would I be where I am now if the past would have been handled differently?

Or would I still be in my current present regardless of the past?

Those are questions thought up by my overactive, insomniatic mind.

I have no answers.

I try to acknowledge and let go.

The swirling mass consumes me.

I try to keep the darker thoughts at bay.

They dart in and out. Flicking their forked tongues at the edge of my subconscious. I try to wrangle them into one spot and hold them there.

Acknowledge and let go.

But they do not leave.

They stay and mock me.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm going crazy.

***************

This was written over the weekend as I was fighting with a bout of insomnia.

I know I'm not going crazy but the nights when my mind refuses to shut off, it feels as though I might be.

Pouring my heart out and linking up with Shell today. . .

Writer's Workshop: Things I Miss about life before Mamahood

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 07:22:00 +0000

Let me preface this by saying that I love being a Mom.

I love my daughter with my whole heart and soul and would not change a single thing as far as she is concerned.

But . . .

There are a few things that I miss about life before mama-hood.

I miss being able to go to the bathroom by myself. I thought it was bad when she was little but I swear it has gotten worse as she has gotten older. I have to lock the door to be able to pee in peace. That's just not right.
I miss being able to eat the food on my plate without out having someone (Ahem, Kaylee) wanting a bite of whatever is on my plate. And this happens constantly. Even if she has already eaten something, I must share with her.
I miss being able to spontaneously up and go. Once you have kids going anywhere requires lots of planning. And if you are going somewhere kids can't go, then you have even more planning to do.
I miss having alone time. And I mean having more than thirty minutes to myself. I want a few hours. To myself. All alone.
I miss having lazy days. It seems like once you have kids you are always on the go. To the doctor. To school. To soccer/baseball/football/softball or some other sporting/extra curricular event.

I'm sure I could sit here and come up with a list longer than this but these are the things that stand out to me. These are the things that I miss the most about life before motherhood.

What about you, what do you miss?

********************

Linking up with Mama Kat and her Pretty much WORLD FAMOUS Writer's Workshop.

I chose prompt #5: Share something you miss from before you were a mom.

Check it out, choose a prompt and link up yourself!

Karma Kickback

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We've been living in the land of WA for just over five years now. We have had our share of good moments and bad moments with the bad mostly outweighing the good. It has been hard living out here. There was the year we spent living in a motel because the situation at the house we were staying at (which was R's cousin) turned extremely dangerous. So Randall, Kaylee, the in-laws and myself squeezed into a tiny two room motel room for a year. It was stressful, to say the least. I have been convinced since then that I never want to stay with extended family ever again. And yet here I am stuck with the in-laws. There was a pregnancy that was unexpected but filled us with joy. There was happiness for Kaylee, that she was going to be a big sister. . . And then there was a miscarriage which had to have been the worst one (out of five) that I have ever experienced. I believe wholeheartedly that that was my last chance to ever conceive again. There have been bad decisions made by some people in this family (I wont name anyone but it isn't me. Heh.) There has been sickness. SO MUCH SICKNESS. I have seen the inside of more hospitals than I care to admit. But all these things, instead of making us despise each other have brought us closer. Made our relationship stronger. Made me love harder and fight for what I believe in. We have struggled. We ARE struggling. I sense a change is near. The struggles, the hardships, have all been for a reason. It's about time that Karma came back and hit us with the good. We are more than ready for it.

**********************************

Pouring my heart out with Shell today.

Because sometimes you just have to let go of what's resting on your heart.

Before and After

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:00:00 +0000

We are over here trying to get prepared for the first day of school. Which is September 5th.

Where the heck did summer go?

We have bought the much desired messenger bag (which is supposedly all the rage this year)

And the school supplies.

And the jeans

And shirts

And shoes

And socks

And underwear

And and and. . .

. . .the list keeps going.

I'm tired already!

Last week I took Kaylee to get her hair cut. She had talked about wanting something different. . .

Which I was OK with. I know what it feels like to need a change.

And she decided to go with a shorter length and bangs!

She hasn't had bangs since kindergarten!

So she went from this:

To this:

I love that she decided to go shorter. . . It ended up cutting off all the dead and split ends that she had before.

I have to admit that I almost cried when the stylist started cutting her bangs. . . It was like looking into the past. She looks so much like I did at that age.

We have a lot of the same qualities.

It's not a total shocker that she looks somewhat like me. She is my kid after all. (At least that's what they keep telling me. Hee hee!)

That's what has been going on around here lately.

What about you? Are you ready for Back to School or are you as unprepared as I feel?

Random Friday Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 01:40:00 +0000

I have not had the want nor the desire to blog the last couple of weeks.

Not sure what that's all about. . .

But here are some random things that are going on right now:

After feeling bad for two days, I finally talked Randall into going to the ER this afternoon. I know he didn't really want to go but I also know he didn't want to wait until things started going bad.
Been trying to keep Kaylee occupied by letting her spend the night at various friend's houses.
School can not start soon enough for this tired Mama.
I've been thinking a lot the last few days about the past. I know I shouldn't because the past is exactly that. The past. I can't help but wonder about the "what ifs" of life.
My Mom is an expert at making me feel bad. Seriously. I talked to her yesterday and she mentioned that she wished she could see Kaylee in person no more than 9487563885 times. Really. Until my rich uncle gets out of the poor house? Cross country trips will not be happening.
Of course I didn't actually SAY that to her. But I thought it. Several times.
I've been having trouble sleeping. . . Making my bedtime anywhere between 2 and 5 AM. Because sleep is overrated. Or something.
I have said "I need a vacation" more than once to Randall in the last three weeks. Because I do. I need to getaway. Just me. By myself. Doing nothing. And taking care of no one but myself.

And that is just some of the random running through my brain right now. . .

Enjoy your weekend folks!

Somewhere Along the Way Things Changed

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder what the fuck I'm doing.

WHO am I?

WHAT am I doing?

WHERE did the time go?

WHEN will things start to change?

WHY am I here?

HOW did I get to this point in my life?

All things that I think about at least once a day. At least.

I know that I have not grown into the adult that teenage me thought she would be. I can remember telling people that I wanted to become a doctor and start research to find a cure for cancer. I didn't want other kids losing their dads to cancer like I did. . . I have no clue what happened to that motivated little girl.

I remember through high school becoming tired.

I was tired of school. I didn't want to do it any more.

I almost didn't graduate because I slacked off so much.

Don't tell my Mom because I don't think she realizes that.

I had work and a boyfriend (who later became my fiancee and then my first husband) and I was just done with the bullshit.

There was also a time during my senior year that I almost joined the Army. Almost.

I had spoken to the recruiter several times. He frequented my high school regularly. I went and watched the videos and listened to the stories. And came THISCLOSE to joining. . . Then my soon to be hubby started asking me what would happen to "us". What would happen to him while I was away at boot camp and where would we live and would that mean that we would have to move. . . And so very many more questions-- from him.

I can remember not really caring what he thought (and that should have clued me in to something. Also probably why he's the ex-hubby now too). But eventually, because I cared for him and ~~thought~~ I loved him, I decided not to carry on with joining the Army.

I gave in to his wants and his needs. I put my hopes, my dreams on the back burner.

Something that I never thought I would do. Ever.

Somewhere along the way things changed. I changed.

That was the start of me doing for others to make them happy. My happiness didn't matter.

It is something that I still do to this day.

I put others before myself. Some may look at it as being selfless. I am starting to look at it as being stupid.

How can I make other people happy if I am not happy myself?

Parenting Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I don't remember ever reading or being told that parenting is easy.

So let's just put that to bed right this second.

Parenting is hard.

Really freaking hard.

There are no manuals. I don't care how many books you read while you were pregnant. None of them explain to you how hard parenting is really going to be.

You never dream, not even for an instant, how much your life is going to change as you are pushing your baby through your vagina (or having your baby pulled from your uterus if you had a C-section).

With all this being said, my daughter is ten.

And everyday she makes me feel like I am failing as a mother. Everyday.

I am always not doing something right.

I will tell you this, I am extremely lenient. Extremely.

I let her play outside with her friends. I let her ride her bike around the block.

I let her do most of the things that I wasn't allowed to do at her age.

I was restricted to playing in the back yard.

I wasn't allowed to go to any of my friend's houses to play.

I could only ride my bike in the driveway.

So I have tried to let her have a little bit of freedom. I have tried to just let her be a kid.

The biggest issue we are having is bedtime.

Another thing we have been lenient on.

During school through the week bedtime is nine o'clock. And on the weekends (Friday and Saturday) she gets to stay up until 11.

So far this summer, the earliest she has made it to bed has been midnight. Sometimes she stays up even later than that.

I know I am being judged right now. I know it.

You probably think I am some horrible mother for not adhering to a strict bedtime.

You are thinking to yourself, "YOU are the cause of your bedtime issue so you need to quit bitching about it."

It's OK. You can judge. I am woman enough to handle it.

Really.

It's not the actual bedtime that is bothering me. It's the attitude that is given when she is told that it's time to go to bed.

It doesn't matter what time it is. She whines and moans.

She equates staying up late to being an adult.

And I don't know what to do.

I am at the end of my parenting rope.

Screaming and yelling do nothing.

Sitting and talking does nothing.

I am at a loss.

I need help.

I've learned in ten years that being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world.

Ten Thought Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Are you ready for some random?

I know you are just like you know you are. . .

Or something like that. Heh.

Here we go:

What's your random?

Make some posties and join me!

A Crafty Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:51:00 +0000

I like to make things.

I like to work with my hands.

But I also have to be in the mood to craft.

Sometimes the things I make turn out pretty nice. . .

And there are other times that they don't.

My latest obsession is making things out of duct tape.

Wallets, purses, bracelets. . .

The list of things you can make is only limited to your imagination.

Over the weekend I was inspired by the leftover 'legs' from a cut-off pair of jeans. The more I looked at them the more I could picture them being turned into something.

I have seen tutorials where people have used material for the inside of their duct tape purse. . . So I figured, why not put the material on the outside?

After about an hours worth of measuring, cutting material and taping things up this was the end result:

A Jeans-Tape purse with a coin pouch on the side!

This is now Kaylee's favorite purse. She carries it wherever she goes.

I had made her a duct tape tote bag for Easter this year as well.

She ended up carrying this to school as her 'backpack'.

So that's what I've been up to craft-wise.

Duct tape.

It also comes in handy when the kid gets mouthy.

Just kidding.

But only a little bit.

Hee hee!

***********

Linking up with Mama Kat and her Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop!

I chose prompt #5: Time to get crafty! Share something you've been working on.

Wordless Wednesday: Breathtaking

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:36:00 +0000

The beautiful Mt. Rainier caught out the car window on the way home one day!

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Check out more pictures at: Wordless Wednesday.

Also linking with Julie from Angry Julie Monday

And Alicia at Project Alicia

Ten Thought Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:00:00 +0000

What's your random?

Make some posties and join me!

When Plans Go Awry

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:04:00 +0000

Don't you just hate it when your plans get changed around when you least expect it?

I know I do.

Remember me talking about our Fourth of July plans? Well, those plans were tossed into the fire Tuesday evening after Randall was admitted to the hospital, yet again.

I should have known better than to have gotten my hopes up.

And even though they are Randall's friends? I was looking forward to getting out of the house and enjoying time with my little family.

Since Randall is in the hospital, I opted not to go.

I did let Kaylee go though.

Why let her holiday be ruined too?

And it's not really that the day was ruined. It wasn't.

We just didn't get to spend it the way we thought we were going to.

Kaylee had a good time and ended up spending the night. . .

Which left me with a night of kid free time. Which was awesome, in case you were wondering.

I missed my family something fierce yesterday. And at one point, as I watched the fireworks on TV, I became so lonely that I thought my heart was gonna break in two.

But I got over it.

I survived.

Kaylee survived.

Randall survived.

Hopefully next year we will get to spend the holiday together.

How was your holiday?

Independence

noreply@blogger.com (Stasha) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:19:00 +0000

Happy Independence Day, America!

Hope you are having a safe and fun Fourth!